Liquid Vortex trial starts

The next morning the RNLI was forced to mount a rescue of the seven-manned boat, owned by Hot Liquid sailing Ltd, off the coast of Kent after one crew member was thrown overboard, another injured and several had succumbed to seasickness.
More sensational journalism! Since when has anybody "forced" the RNLI to launch?
 
I beg to differ they go of their own free will and I thank them for that; much as I did when I was a Mountain Rescue Team member.

And how many times have you heard them refuse, I think "forced to launch" explains the situation perfectly and is not being over dramatic.

I am sure they would rather not be out in a F10 but such is their dedication that when a call comes in whatever the conditions they go.
 
Presumably the sea threw him back. Lucky, that.

The reporting is very sloppy.

“Both Manning and Sturrock will have known there was going to be gale force 10 weather warnings and they would have known that this going to sea,” Miss Gibbons added.

You don't get Gale force 10 weather.
 
Sorry a wave washing through the cockpit with enough force is not something that happens in benign conditions, and expecting the weather to stick precisely to any particular forecast is in my opinion verging on lunacy.

It's fact so it's not really up for debate! The storm came through exactly as predicted, and if the wheel hadn't broken they would have completely missed it exactly as they say.

They took a chance for commercial gain and got caught out, thus they need to pay the price. That was the risk they took. They could have been lucky, they could have been more ulucky and be facing manslaughter charges, but they pushd the limits for finacial gain and that ends up in court.

Financial gain? The skipper's daughter was on board and I somehow doubt CS would have risked his daughter's and his life to make cash for someone else's business. What about the crew? All of them chose to stay on board, it would have been easy for them to say "I'll take the train and meet you wherever you stop.". What motive would they have to risk their lives to save a trian fare and possibly a B&B?

More importantly IIRC they'd allowed nearly a week for the trip and were on day one. So assuming my memory is right they had plenty of time and were under no time pressure.
 
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Weeding out the facts here it would seem like Liquid Vortex are really on trail for getting caught out too many times and this is all going down more as a warning to others rather than a punishment for them.

No one can predict steering failure. And even with emergency steering, considering the conditions and the crew, calling a mayday and getting towed in was absolutely the right thing to do. If strikes me that if Liquid Vortex hadn't required the coastguards assistance previously then this incident would never have got beyond a mention in the news, let alone gone to trial.
 
A little bit more info:

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10002499.Yacht_skipper_s_fury_after_RNLI_called__court_told/

THE skipper of a Southampton yacht battling fierce winds was “absolutely furious” when he heard a lifeboat had been dispatched to help it, a court heard.

Novice sailors who had paid to sail on Liquid Vortex told a jury at Southampton Crown Court what happened when they had to be rescued by the RNLI and RAF off the coast of Kent.

The boat, owned by Hampshire firm Hot Liquid Sailing Limited, had set off from Shamrock Quay in Southampton on January 2 on a voyage bound for London, despite warnings of Force 10 weather conditions, the court heard.

Lifeboats from the RNLI and helicopters from the RAF were dispatched 6.20am the following day to rescue the seven sailors, despite skipper Charles Sturrock saying that “a lifeboat wasn't needed”.

Crew member Veronica Bower-Seek said: “The coastguard asked me to inform the skipper that they were launching Dungeness [lifeboat] to stand by us.

“Although we hadn't sent out a Mayday message, they clearly had enough concern with sea conditions to launch the boat.

“When I told the skipper he was absolutely furious.”

It was only when a wave crashed onto the boat, injuring crew member Jason Heap, that a Mayday message was sent out.
 
I was simply commenting on the remarks about the sea state in the photo.

Not going to get into conspiracy theory discussions - will await court details.

Having tried to take both video and still of some 'interesting' weather it always looks much flatter on photos and video.

W.
 
More sensational journalism! Since when has anybody "forced" the RNLI to launch?

I think you are slagging the journalist when you should probably be slagging the lawyer.

The prosecutor has told the court the RNLI was "forced".

Doing their job in the adversarial system which is to make the defendant look as evil as possible.
 
I think you are slagging the journalist when you should probably be slagging the lawyer.

The prosecutor has told the court the RNLI was "forced".

Doing their job in the adversarial system which is to make the defendant look as evil as possible.
Then the report should have reflected that! Still sloppy.
 
Latest from today's Daily Echo
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10004130.Court_told_of_heroic_rescue_bid_of_stricken_yacht_crew/

Bravery award handed out to lifeboat rescuer

12:40pm Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News

A LIFEBOAT volunteer was awarded a silver medal for gallantry for rescuing novice sailors on a Southampton boat caught in force ten weather conditions, a court heard.

Southampton Crown Court heard that Garry Clark leapt from the Dungeness lifeboat in order to rescue seven crew members on board the Liquid Vortex which had sailed into 15mile per hour winds in the early hours of January 3.

The lifeboat had been dispatched after a distress signal had been made to the boat, owned by Hot Liquid Sailing Ltd.

Speaking to the court Trevor Bunney mechanic and second deputy coxswain on board the Dungeness said: “The yachtsman managed to get closer for a split second, Garry leapt on board the boat, a split second later the vessels were 29 ft apart.”

The court has previously heard how the crew had set sail the previous despite adverse weather forecasts and that the crew had been forced to sail through the night.
 
(snip)
The court has previously heard how the crew had set sail the previous despite adverse weather forecasts and that the crew had been forced to sail through the night.

Was an alternative to sailing thro the night suggested? Could they have popped into a Premier Inn for the night perhaps? Or anchored mid-channel? :D

How were the crew forced? Was it the same way the RNLI were "forced" to rescue them? This is just ludicrous comment, designed to create a "Captain Bligh" scenario.

The decision to sail might not have been the safest choice, but once agreed & under way it has to be seen thro. Anyone not wanting to be out in that had the choice to just go home & ask for their money back - probably wouldn't get it I suspect, but better than getting a battering out there.
 
Anyone not wanting to be out in that had the choice to just go home & ask for their money back - probably wouldn't get it I suspect, but better than getting a battering out there.

+1, and they wouldn't even need to forego the trip, just say "Enjoy your night guys I'm taking the train to Dover, to rejoin you there. Phone me if you stop before Dover.".
 
Latest from today's Daily Echo
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10004130.Court_told_of_heroic_rescue_bid_of_stricken_yacht_crew/

Southampton Crown Court heard that Garry Clark leapt from the Dungeness lifeboat in order to rescue seven crew members on board the Liquid Vortex which had sailed into 15mile per hour winds in the early hours of January 3.

doesnt sound too tricky, must have been a lull.


coxswain on board the Dungeness said: “The yachtsman managed to get closer for a split second, Garry leapt on board the boat, a split second later the vessels were 29 ft apart


did he have a tape measure ?


im sure it was an incredibly brave thing to do and not something i would even contemplate but the reporting is crass. i suspect it was the lifeboat rather than the yacht that managed to get close.

i also seem to remember that the original report said that the lifeboat man assisted the skipper in straightening the wheel.

also, wasn't his entire crew removed due to sudden "sea-sickness"? yet the skipper remained with his vessel, sailing her safely to ramsgate, single handed presumably, -unless the lifeboat man stayed aboard.

is this trial really in anyone's interest?
 
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